Qudus Onikeku is a Nigerian dancer and performer who has been described as "an atypical artist". He was one of the three artists invited to Nigeria's first appearance at the 2017

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

Biography and work

Onikeku lived in France for a while before returning to Lagos to found Q-Dance Company and Dance Gathering Lagos. He has performed a number of local and international shows, including ''We Almost Forgot'' which has been showcased in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

and

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

. His work takes its influence from the

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

traditional culture "combining it with several other influences such as the guiding philosophies of hip hop, capoeira, and contemporary dance, to weave a certain understanding of the human condition." Onikeku's my exile is in my head was named as the laureate of the solo category at the Danse L’Afrique Danse 2010 in Bamako.

Notable works

''SPIRIT CHILD'' premiered in Cologne in June 2019. ''IYAMI'' premiered on 17 December 2018. ''YUROPA'' premiered in Bremen in June 2018. ''RAINMAKERS'' created for the 2018 TEDGlobal in Tanzania, and since performed severally in Nigeria. ''A BRIEF MOMENT OF TRUTH'' created for the 2017 TEDLagos. ''WE ALMOST FORGOT'' 2016 creation, premièred in Berlin, Lagos and Abuja, and Paris. ''QADDISH'' premiered on 6 July 2013 with several tours around Europe.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Onikeku, Qudus Living people Nigerian male dancers Nigerian dancers Place of birth missing (living people) 1984 births